Roots to Rise: Leadership Lessons from a Global Journey By Nias Puthenveettil What if leadership didn’t start in boardrooms, but under mango trees, on dusty streets, and in classrooms without air-conditioning? In Roots to Rise , Nias Puthenveettil shares an inspiring and deeply personal journey from a small village in Kerala to global boardrooms in healthcare and technology. Through vivid storytelling and timeless leadership lessons, this memoir offers more than career advice—it’s a mirror for anyone navigating ambition, identity, and integrity in a rapidly changing world. With authenticity and grace, Nias unpacks hard-won insights on: Leading without authority or a title - Balancing confidence with humility - Building trust in global teams - Leading AI and innovation with empathy - Turning setbacks into stepping stones - And cultivating purpose without burning out Whether you’re a student, an emerging leader, or a seasoned executive, this book offers clarity, courage, and frameworks forged in lived experience—not theory. If you’ve ever moved forward quietly without a map, faced uncertainty and kept going, or lifted others while still finding your own footing— Roots to Rise is your companion. Strengthen your roots. Lift others. Rise together. "Nias has written an inspiring book. This is a leadership memoir that is full of powerful advice, grounded in a remarkable story of achievement and a journey from Kerala to Kellogg to Fortune 500 leadership. The lessons are profound: the power of role models, the impact of humility and diligence, the importance of taking a risk. This book is a compelling read for emerging leaders and seasoned executives alike." - Professor Tim Calkins, Clinical Professor of Marketing, Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University "From writing code to building trust, our journey showed me that good leadership can be kind, human, and quietly powerful. In this book, Nias shares that rare mix-offering clear advice, humility, and hope to anyone who wants to lead with purpose." - Dr. Joachim Hornegger, President, FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg "In Roots to Rise, Nias presents a very compelling concept, "the Leadership Flywheel," through his personal growth journey from childhood to the boardroom across diverse cultures and societal norms. His story-telling is authentic and relatable, spanning diverse leadership topics ranging from leading with purpose and humility to career management and embracing stretch without burnout. A seasoned leader in healthcare technologies, Nias reminds us that innovation and audacious goals are best achieved when we lead with empathy. A must-read for anyone transforming healthcare in an era of rapid change." - Lisa K Rose, Executive Vice President, Head of Core Lab Solutions Business, Siemens Healthineers "As someone who has spent a lifetime bridging medicine, technology, and meaning across geographies and generations, the themes of this book resonate deeply with me. Roots to Rise is more than a memoir-it is a leadership offering for our times. It reminds us that identity is not a boundary but a source of resilience, and that leading with heart is not a weakness but a strength. I'm proud to stand behind a work that speaks to the next generation of global leaders with courage, clarity, and conviction." - Dr. Paramjit "Romi" Chopra, MD Founder & CEO, MIMIT Health CIMSS Innovative Solutions Tenured Associate Professor of Radiology, RUSH University "If you're an aspiring leader looking to balance confidence and humility-read this book. If you're an executive seeking a compass that points to both results and relationships-read this book. And if you simply love a story of grit, family, and global dreams-read this book." - Todd Fritsche, Former CTO, Siemens Former VP, Cerner, Oracle Health Nias Puthenveettil is a global technology leader, author, and entrepreneur whose journey spans continents and industries-from the red soil of rural Kerala to the boardrooms of global healthcare and AI companies.With decades of experience building and scaling transformative technologies, Nias has led innovation across cancer detection, medical imaging, hospital systems, and enterprise learning. He is the founder of Piramidz, a firm that helps organizations harness strategy, technology, and innovation-rooted in integrity and insight.His leadership journey spans Fortune 500 companies, publicly traded firms, private equity portfolio companies, and venture-backed startups. He has built and deployed transformer-based models for oncology, radiology, and pathology; developed explainable AI tools; and led global teams in AI, engineering, and cloud operations. His work blends deep technical expertise with sharp strategic thinking, always in service of impact.Nias holds a bachelor's in computer science and engineering from the University of Mysore, a master's in computer science from the Illinois Institute of Technology, and an MBA from Northwestern University's Kell